CBS Evening News

Obama taps ex-adviser to retool Obamacare website

(CBS News) WASHINGTON -- Jeffrey Zients, the man tapped to fix the Obamacare website, is the former acting director of the White House budget office, but he's better known for leading three business management companies.

Jeffrey Zients

CBS News

White House spokesman Jay Carney acknowledged that better management at the Department of Health and Human services is what the website needs right now.

"HHS will be tapping his experience and expertise as they address the challenges that have come up with the administration of the website," Carney said at the daily White House press briefing Tuesday.

Three committees in the House plan hearings on why the administration repeatedly promised the website would be ready, without a hint the site was in trouble. Officials have since acknowledged the system was not well tested.

Sources tell CBS News the underlying software was riddled with junk computer code, which means, one expert said, "No way it was properly tested before it went live."

The White House is also reaching out to experts and companies in Silicon Valley, trying to tap their expertise for the rescue of healthcare.gov. But officials have declined to say which companies have been asked for this new level of help.